Laminate wood – know their weakness and the work around them

Laminate wood is the process of combining wood or other materials through the process of lamination. When other materials are used, they are combined in a way where they simulate wood like appearance and its properties. This is the most commonly preferred wood for flooring in most parts of the world.

The main reasons here being their wood-like look and feel and yet being drastically cheaper to natural wood. With the modern technologies, the laminate woods resemble the natural wood in almost every possible way like grains, texture, etc. Another major advantage for the laminate wood, is the easy installation process. Probably among all the types of flooring, this has the easiest installation process, whereby they could even be installed without using glues or nails, but just with lock and grip structures.

Something with so many advantages, comes with equal number of cons too, which necessitates greater care for the laminate woods.

Basic Cleaning and maintenance

The major issue with the Laminate wood flooring is the fact that it shows dirt directly and needs constant sweeping or vacuuming. Even while sweeping, care must be taken to use a dry mop with soft bristles. This wooden flooring is prone to scratches quite easily and hence even while vacuuming, extra care needs to be given that no scratches are being made. The grooves formed during the installation of the laminate wood flooring could also accumulate the dirt. It is not an issue while vacuuming but while using dry mop, it is necessary to remove the dirt from these grooves too.

It could get quite messy with spills. It is advised not to let the liquid sit on the laminate wood for long and clean it up immediately. Not cleaning the liquid could end up staining or even damaging the laminate floor itself.

Advanced maintenance

If the laminate wood is stained, it could be quite a challenge to remove the stains. A warm water mop could be tried out initially to remove the stain. It should be noted that the laminate wood, is not kept wet for long periods. This could lead to greater damage. Should this not work, a number of solutions specifically designed for cleaning the laminate floor, could be tried. A common homemade solution is a mixture of vinegar and water, or by the use of a paint remover or nail polish remover.

Steps for protection

Laminate wood are relatively less durable than their counterparts, however, they form a great deal considering their price. In order keep them in good condition, one must take steps proactively to make sure that they could last longer. One of the best ways to do this by looking for suitable rugs. High quality rugs prove to be a protective layer for the laminate wood, from dirt, sunlight, dents, etc.. In high traffic areas like the living room, bedroom, kitchen, etc. the rugs and mats protect the wood from damage, stains and wearing down.

On the whole it could be fair to say that the laminate wood are great for the budget, but need high levels of maintenance to make sure that they are long lasting for the price they are bought for.